Critical Complex
by cannotwrite
Summary: Noah struggles to express his feelings to Cody, but everything seems determined to get in his way, especially when one is up against conspiracies, aliens, and the occasional irrational lunatic. Noco and others. AU. Slash warning. Please R&R :3
1. Failure to Launch

**A/N: Hello~ Miki and Hannah here. This is our first fanfic! We hope you enjoy it! Reviews and constructive criticisms are tremendously appreciated. This is a Sci-fi AU, which we hope to pack full of comedy, action, fluff, and angst. :D The main pairing and the focus of the story is NoCo, but expect more to pop up along the way. We'll be updating biweekly and would be very grateful if you'll follow our little story (which will probably end up pretty lengthy OTL). **

**Disclaimer: We do not own Total Drama. **

CHAPTER ONE: FAILURE TO LAUNCH

Noah paced nervously back and forth across the corridor, feet scuffing lightly against the steel platform leading to the escape pod deck. He inhaled, trying to center his thoughts as his hand hesitated over his destination's access panel. He ran his fingers through his russet colored hair nervously and quickly input the combination before his anxiety got the better of him.

_Just get this over with, Noah, _he thought to himself, striding through the paneling. Once he stepped over the foyer he was hit with the desire to turn around and run until he jumped out of the bridge and died in the vacuum of space. However, the doors slid shut with an apathetic hiss, condemning him to commitment.

The escape pod itself was a massacre of wires framed by a sleek, white interior. The pod's navigation system was gutted, displaying a medley of green computer chips. The last diagnostic review run by Harold, (a carrot-headed, glasses wearing nerd that Noah found deplorable at best), had revealed several problems within. Underneath the console, a pair of military-issue black boots stuck out from the rubble. A pounding resounded through the capsule as the resident tech geek, Cody, labored on the task he had been assigned.

Immediately Noah felt his heart flutter in anticipation. He summoned his existing courage to fight off the beads of sweat forming at the base of his neck. He had certainly not been known for displays of unnecessary exertion in the past, preferring to let such responsibilities fall on the shoulders of those with the energy to waste. This time, it was something he alone had to face.

"Hey Cody, can I speak to you for a minute," he mumbled, successfully keeping his usual tone of nonchalance present. _So far so good…_

In spite of all his efforts the only sound that came in reply was the continuous clanking of a ratchet wrench. Cody seemed rather immersed in his work, so Noah cleared his throat and repeated himself, this time with a little more force. He held his breath as he listened for a reply.

"Mmmhmmmm," Cody uttered in a singsong tone.

"Well, I- uh," Noah looked away, now was not the time to freeze up. Nonetheless, all romantic notions had left him, and much to his vexation he found he had no idea what to say. Well, he had decided to go for it hadn't he? "I've been thinking lately… about… us, and well ever since I met you this place has seemed a lot less monotonous and a lot more, well, sane. What's the most eloquent way I can say this… I- uh," his face grew hot with frustration as he struggled to force out his words, which became a rather jumbled mess of syllables too fast for anyone to comprehend. "IthinkIl-l-l-oveyou!"

_Nice one, genius._

Again he was met with silence, a cruel entity that ripped through him like a dagger. Maybe he had come on too strong? The palm of his hand slapped his forehead in agony, running down to pinch the bridge of his nose. Ugh he was so stupid, there was no way Cody could feel the same way about him. After all he had once harbored an enormous crush on their fellow coworker, Gwen, only to be rejected. Now by exposing his feelings Cody would probably avoid him, never speak to him again; never look him in the face with his clear blue eyes, always so full of emotion and child-like wonder, or—

Noah couldn't bear it anymore. He swallowed harshly, choking on a lump that had found fit to situate itself in his larynx.

"Answer me," he gasped.

"Put your hands down my pants and I'll bet you'll feel nuts."

"Wh-whaaa…?" Noah's jaw went slack. His expression twisted into one of confusion and he felt his heart skip a beat. _This is going faster than I expected…_

"Yes I'm Siskel, yes I'm Ebert and you're getting two thumbs up." Suddenly Cody shifted out of the wreckage and stood, continuing to sing. Thin speaker wires hung from his ears, leading to a musical device. "You've had enough of two hand touch you want it rough you're out of bounds. I want you smothered want you cov-" He paused, finally noticing Noah's presence in the room. "Oh, hey Noah, what are you doing here? Heh heh." He flushed slightly, of all the songs he had to sing along to it had to be Bad Touch. How embarrassing.

Noah's eyes widened in disbelief. He had just confessed his love and Cody hadn't even heard him? The concept appalled him. He had just risked everything and really it had gotten him nowhere. For a fleeting moment he thought maybe it was better if he just forgot about it altogether (maybe fate had graced him with this chance to change his mind) and remained content in his friendship with Cody. After all wasn't that what had caused him to fall so madly in love in the first place? Upon thinking the word love a terrible sinking feeling materialized in the depths of his stomach. No, he couldn't give up on Cody… If anything, fate _had_ graced him, but with another opportunity to confess, to precisely form the words that he wanted Cody to hear about how he felt.

"Uh, Noah? Did you need me for anything?"

He must have been frozen like an idiot for a considerable amount of time, grimacing internally at the double implication he found in Cody's question. The room suddenly felt too small for the two of them. Noah backed away, he needed to gather his thoughts. In an attempt to act casual, he rested his hand against the surface of the console behind him. _Just play it cool Noah, there's no reason for you to get all flustered now. He didn't even hear me._

Cody rubbed his arm as Noah continued to stay silent. His expression reminded Cody of a trapped animal.

"Er, do you mind if I hide out here for a bit? I may have called Eva a sadistic bitch, and now she's out for my blood," Noah smirked, finally gaining his composure. Cody's face lit up and he let out a laugh.

"Sucks to be you," he grinned. Noah eased up a bit, leaning further as he relaxed, the edge of his palm nudging against a red button unknowingly.

Suddenly blaring sirens echoed throughout the room, jarring them both with its message.

"LAUNCH SEQUENCE INITIATED. TEN SECONDS UNTIL ABORT OPTION IS LOCKED. NINE."

"Whoops," Noah frowned at the predicament. "Do you know how to stop this?"

"EIGHT."

Cody glanced at him and nodded. "Yeah, no problem." He hurriedly stepped over to the console, eyes jumping over the buttons, searching for the one that would save them.

"SEVEN."

"SIX."

"FIVE."

"Aha!" With a gleam of confidence in his eyes, he pressed a key on the control panel. The sirens suddenly grew quiet as relief flooded over them both.

"LAUNCH ACTIVATED."

"Wha?" Their reprieve was quickly shattered and replaced with an abundance of horror. Cody pushed the button fervently, but to no avail.

"I can't stop it!" he cried.

The entire room started shaking violently as vibrations from the rocket's ignition traveled through the frame of the craft. The dock opened, revealing the endless blackness of space, and as they were shot out into its midst the two were thrown to the back of the ship like ragdolls.

Noah steadied himself first, standing up slowly and then offering a hand to Cody, who was rubbing his head from the impact. He blushed as his fingers entwined around Cody's and hefted him to his feet.

"It's not too late," he huffed, "We can still fly this thing back to the ship."

"Yeah," Cody stifled a grin, "Um, Noah?"

"What?"

"You can let go of me now."

"Oh- right," he released Cody quickly, as if his hand had been a flaming poker, and moved toward the pilot's chair. Fortunately the steering was left intact. A set of two u-shaped joysticks protruded from the face of the dashboard. Noah grasped them and began to turn the ship around, tilting them like he would his favorite video game. The tail end of the ship swung around listlessly, obeying his every command. Noah prided himself in being one of the better pilots on their ship; although if given the choice he would much rather enjoy the ride than commit to any actual piloting.

The image of an unknown planet filled the window, a marbled mass of green and a breathtakingly deep blue accented by wisps of pearly white fluff. They were enticed by this view for a moment before regaining their senses.

Noah pressed on the throttle, their ship was heading father and father away from them by the second. Much to his nuisance he found that the escape pod didn't budge, instead the planet seemed to be growing closer at an increasingly rapid rate.

"No _offense_ to the maintenance department, but this heap of junk is useless. Why aren't we moving?" His eyes shifted to meet Cody's disconcerted gaze.

"There was nothing wrong with the rockets in the diagnostic," he shrugged nervously, hugging himself. "Heh, unless they decided to break down r-right this minute…"

"Fantastic," Noah groaned. Today had really turned out quite swimmingly. He forced the throttle down fiercely, hoping to spark some kind of ignition. "Come on, can't at least one thing go right for me today?" Then, as if by magic, the rockets engaged and the craft began moving forward. Or well, more to the left side. Noah shifted the steering to put them on the correct path, but oddly enough they only seemed to be moving in the direction of the planet. Then he was struck with a blood curdling realization.

"The planet's gravity is too intense for us, we're being pulled in," his tone grew more panicked as the ship began its encounter with the atmosphere of said world. "You might want to hold on to something."

A white hot intensity struck against the windshield the moment the sound left his mouth, rattling the ship to the point where Noah feared it would splinter into a million pieces. The grating sound of machinery being torn away from the vessel further maintained this predicament. Noah prayed to God, if he survived he would let Izzy dress him up as a maid and marry him off to Chef or any other dastardly scheme she could concoct.

The rattling gradually dissipated, much to his relief. He cracked open an eye when one of Cody's unmanly screams resounded throughout the cabin.

A great mass of green filled his vision. A tree? He jerked up on the steering, hoping they would be able to dodge it in time.

They did not, the edge of the ship smashed against the top of the tree sending them careening into a stomach-churning tailspin. Now they were both crying at the top of their lungs, each bit of foliage they hit tossing them in a new direction, until finally the ship crumpled upon meeting the ground. Noah was flung to the floor violently, an eerie black clouding his vision until it was consumed entirely by the liberation of sleep.

**Thank you very much for reading~! :3**


	2. Crash Landing

**A/N: Yaaay! We've written the second chapter! We hope you enjoy! Thanks to everyone who left feedback for the first chapter~ You are awesome! Please read/review/criticize! **

**Disclaimer: Do not own anything Total Drama. **

Noah was vaguely aware of a dull throbbing sensation inside his skull; he was in a state of complete disorientation. Gradually, the events prior to his blackout flooded his memory, and a frown creased his features. He tentatively tested out his limbs and was relieved to find that he was able to move them.

_At least I'm not paralyzed… _His eyes fluttered open, squinting as the light hit his face. He pushed his body upwards with shaky arms, a wave of dizziness overcoming his senses and forcing him to pause and steady himself lest he hurl all over Cody.

_Wait, Cody? _Noah's expression widened in astonishment and a blush spread across his cheeks. _God either hates me or loves me for putting me in this… compromising position… _He had landed on top of the boy during the crash and now, having positioned himself into an upright bearing, found that he was in fact straddling his love interest. _Bowchikabowwow… _The thudding sound in his brain sped up. Actually, it didn't seem to be coming from his brain at all, but from outside?

His attention shifted towards the broken windshield and spotted a face plastered against the glass; staring in at the two of them and pounding on the shell of the ship fiercely. _It must be a rescue party. _He glanced back down and was startled when he discovered that Cody had woken up, his blue eyes piercing his gaze with a look of utter confusion.

"Nngh, Noah?"

_Oh, yeah. God definitely hates me. Not that I believe in a God. _How would he explain to Cody that he was practically dry humping him at the moment? Even more so to the crewmembers looking in from outside? He decided not to explain anything at all, taking advantage of Cody's state of disorder and hoping that he wouldn't notice.

"I think the ship sent someone to save us. Eheheh," Noah chuckled nervously. He lurched to his feet abruptly, stumbling backwards a bit before steadying himself and offering Cody a hand.

"What happened? Ugh my leg is killing me…"

"We got really smashed at a party last night and you decided to do a back flip into the pool to try and show off your 'mad skills' only to plummet into a waterless concrete slab. Just like every other crew party."

"R- really?"

Noah's palm smacked against his forehead. "No. Not really." He gestured at the wreckage around them and Cody's face lit up in realization.

"Oh... _Oh._" The memory of the pod crash replayed itself vividly as Noah nodded his head in silent acknowledgement. In the back of Cody's mind the odd behavior that Noah had displayed prior surfaced. _Almost as if he was crushing on someone… He did mention Eva, after all._ His feeble train of thought was interrupted as he noticed the incessant pounding caused by the figure outside the vessel. "What's that sound?" He inquired quizzically.

"Hopefully salvation." After a few forceful tries, Noah managed to open the hatch, which ultimately fell right off it hinges, landing on the ground with a metallic thud ungracefully. A tall, wide-eyed girl in tribal-like clothing whose outlandishly long purple hair was tied back into a thick braid met their gaze. She gasped fervently, her ravenous eyes targeting the smaller of the two boys.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD! IT'S THE BOY FROM MY DREAMS! MY TRUE LOVE!" She bounced gleefully, the tone of her voice making both Noah and Cody unconsciously shift backwards.

"This is rescue?" Cody whispered. Before Noah could add a retort of his own Cody was knocked backwards as the girl leapt through the air, landing him on his arse forcefully. He gasped in pain as his injury was jostled by the impact. The girl, Sierra, on the other hand was too caught up in a flurry of her own thoughts to notice.

_It had been the start of a normal day for Sierra, a light breeze drifting through her window that morning and ruffling her hair gently. Her dark eyelashes swiftly parted as she smiled in an almost zen-like manner. Once again she had dreamt about _him_, that boy with eyes as deep and blue as the river that cut through the center of the colony. _

_For a month he had appeared in her dreams, and although most of the details faded as she rose out of bed, those eyes remained embedded in her memory and her heart. She didn't know who the boy was or if he even existed at all, but inexplicably found herself completely intoxicated by him. He had to be her one true love, and as sickeningly romantic as the notion was, believed this indefinitely. She had even prayed to the heavens for him to come to her the night prior. _

_ She dressed in loosely fit clothing, preferring comfortable wear to elaborate garb. Her family was a fairly wealthy one and therefore was positioned closer to the center of the settlement, which held a large palace made of stone that loomed tyrannically above the rest of the buildings. On the outskirts, the normal residents lived in great structured complexes that were run down from years of use but bustling with activity. Sierra preferred it there, and every day went into the town to explore. _

_She was known for her eccentric behavior, and because of her tall, striking demeanor, was a popular object of proposals. Marriage proposals, that is. She had turned down every single one without hesitation or mercy, and now it almost seemed as though many of the young men in the town had taken it upon themselves as a challenge to see who could win her affection first. _

_ "Sierra!" A surly voice called out to her and she turned around to see who it was. A broad-shouldered teenage boy with soft curly hair and tanned skin approached her, a smile chiseled elegantly across his face. Confidently, he pulled out a large iridescent feather that glimmered as the light struck its tufts. _

_ "Oh no you don't!" Another boy, much taller and slimmer shoved his competitor to the ground, black hair sweeping across his face as he reached into a satchel, pulling out a feather of his own and smirking. "Sierra, my love I-"_

_ However she had spun around animatedly and, disturbed, was now walking away coldly since she had not known either of the boys. _

_ It was a well versed custom that in order to propose marriage, one had to traverse the rocky mountain terrain that lay behind the castle and pluck a feather from one of the violent, yet beautiful, but mostly violent, shimmering birds that resided there. It was a task that was not easily accomplished and therefore displayed the strength and cunning of the proposer. _

_ Suffice to say those boys had gone to hell and back for that token. Sierra just didn't care to concede their efforts. The two boys stood there stupidly with their mouths agape, unsure of how to react to their rejection._

"_Ugh… Please, please, pleeeeaaase let me find my true love already. A sign would be nice at least," she sighed to herself while gazing up at the sky. It was a cloudless day and the atmosphere was painted with a familiar blue tint, reminding her of her recurring dream. _

_Then a gleam of light caught her attention, a shining flare that left a burning path of smoke in its wake. It grew exponentially closer before dipping into the abundant foliage surrounding the town. The sound of an impact echoed briefly and a flock of colorful birds fled their homes in a flurry of flapping wings. Her eyes narrowed into crescents and then widened in realization._

_ "A shooting star during the daytime!" This was her sign, she was sure of it._

_ Without hesitation Sierra ran towards the object that had crashed and into the forest, disregarding the laws that forbid anyone to enter the treacherous landscape. If her love was out there, she was going to find him. _

_ Unfortunately, she was not the only resident to notice the arrival of the ship._

Cody squirmed apprehensively under the unrelenting clutches of the strange girl. She had, much to Noah's revulsion, found it fit to feel him up, making sure he was indeed a solid person and not a figment of her imagination.

"I just can't believe you came to me," she squealed in delight, hugging him closer to her chest while her victim stuttered unintelligibly.

The dark-haired boy couldn't help but feel a tad jealous. After all, he had been struggling to confess his feelings for a while now and all of a sudden they crash on some uncharted planet and the _first person_ they come into contact with steals his momentum with a declaration of their own love for Cody. How unfair. _He_ should be the one to make Cody stutter unintelligibly dammit. Before his imagination could begin to shuffle through possible scenarios that would induce said behavior he shifted his attention to the girl and cleared his throat stridently.

"Um, sorry to interrupt your psychotic break, but just who are you?" He crossed his arms and glowered vigorously at the display of unwarranted affection before him.

"My name's Sierra, but you can call me _lover_," she whispered seductively as she ran a finger down the bridge of Cody's nose. He shivered and flinched away; his frightened eyes sending Noah a pleading expression that clearly read _help me._

"Can't you see you're hurting him? Aren't you here to rescue us, not cause further injury?" Noah tried his best to pull Cody out from under her, succeeding only in making his face contort in agony.

_I had always wanted a girl to leap at me like this someday and declare their love_, Cody thought, _Gwen perhaps… I never thought it would be this terrifying. Or painful. _

"What do you mean rescue? Weren't you sent from the heavens? The Gods must have listened to my prayers and sent my one true love! And his unappealing counterpart…" She glanced at Noah disdainfully, who returned her look with an icy glare of his own.

Cody looked surprised. "You mean you're not part of a rescue team? What are you doing here then?" He shifted about uncomfortably and groaned. "And if its not too much trouble could you get off of my leg please?"

"Of course sweetie- er uh what _is_ your name by the way?" She stood swiftly, easily coerced by the request.

"I'm Cody and that's Noah."

"Ahhhh Cody, Cody. Cody! Coooooodyyyyy! What a beautiful name!"

Cody attempted to stand but much to his frustration found that it caused him too much pain. Noah came to his aid, offering a shoulder for him to lean on. But before he could begin to help, Sierra hefted Cody into her arms, bridal style.

"Oh no, my poor Coco is hurt! Let me carry you!"

Cody was shocked that he was being carried in such a demeaning manner, and in front of Noah no less. How embarrassing! _Why do I always end up being the girl in these situations,_ he huffed and felt his face redden.

Noah was equally flustered. He didn't even have the chance to help Cody. It seemed like he was never going to get any opportunity to express his emotions at all.

This circumstance began to appear more likely as they stepped out of the wreckage only to be met by a circle of armored guards carrying large weapons aimed at them.

**Thanks for reading! We hope no one was scared off by Sierra. XD Please tell us your thoughts! **


	3. Marooned

**A/N: Chapter three! The plot thickens… angsty fluff ensues… It's a bit shorter than our previous chapters, but don't worry we shall make up for it next time! Please read/review/critique! :D It really encourages us to write! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! 3**

**Disclaimer: We do not own Total Drama.**

**

* * *

**

Cody's eyes opened blearily, blinking away a restless night. He had fallen asleep in a sitting position and his muscles were rigid and stiff from the uncomfortable posture. His back was pressed up against a cold weathered wall, which appeared to be made out of cement. He felt a weight pressing down on his shoulder and another on his legs. He glanced to his side and saw the sleeping face of Sierra, her breath tickling his neck. Then he noticed Noah's dormant form cuddled against him, his head cradled in his lap.

He ran his fingers through Noah's hair gently and sighed, recalling the events that led to their imprisonment.

* * *

_Cody, Noah, and Sierra were surrounded on all sides by powerful men in exotic looking silver armor, who carried an array of swords and spears currently aimed __ostentatiously__ at their startled faces. _

_ "Oops," Sierra mumbled, now recalling the law that forbade anyone from venturing outside the town limits. Cody was still caught in her embrace awkwardly._

_ "What do you mean oops?" Noah growled, his feelings of animosity towards the girl rising, "What's going on?" _

_ "Move it," a guard ordered, thrusting his spear at Noah's backside callously._

_ "Hey, watch where you point that thing!" Noah cried out in surprise as he was prodded. _

_ "We'd better do what they say," Sierra cautioned, the tone of her voice had grown much more serious than it had been when she was assaulting Cody. _

_ "Didn't you hear what he said," another guard barked, "move it!" He then proceeded to jab at Noah's shoulder with his spear. The other guy got to do it, it was only fair._

_ "Alright already!" Noah clenched his fists in aggravation._

_ "Yeah, lets go before we all get skewered eheheh," Cody murmured nervously._

_ The group began to trudge through the lush environment towards the city. Slowly, a massive complex of buildings appeared through the foliage. Cody marveled at the architecture, reminiscent of ancient Greco-Roman and Mayan design. The structures were all in pristine condition and built out of strange glossy white stone. _

_ Cody gave Noah a puzzled glance from his position in Sierra's clutches. From the look that was returned he knew that his friend was just as astounded. The resemblance to Earth culture was uncanny._

_ The further they traversed into the maze-like civilization the more elaborate the buildings became. Cody began to notice an increasingly large crowd shuffling behind them and giving him strange looks. They were all very tan and dressed in colorful clothing hung loosely around their bodies. The temperature was exceedingly warm, and he could feel sweat start to soak through his uniform, although this was mostly the product of his embarrassment in being paraded through the town in such a demeaning position, especially when it seemed that everyone's eyes were on him. He could hear their excited whispers from afar._

_ "Er, Sierra?" Cody managed to force out his words. The girl appeared to be delighted when he spoke her name and replied rather perkily._

_ "Yes sweetie?"_

_ "Why is everyone following us and staring?"_

_ "Isn't it obvious?" Sierra grinned, squeezing Cody in her arms._

_ "That doesn't really answer my question," he pointed out._

_ "No. No it doesn't," Noah frowned, "for all we know you're getting ready to kill us."_

_ "Well you came here on a shooting star! And you wear really weird clothing… You were sent from the gods! They're probably gonna give you the biggest welcoming party ever!" Sierra exclaimed._

_ An incredulous expression passed over Noah's face. "Gods? What do you mean?"_

_ "Of course you're not a god," Sierra replied bluntly, "But Cody on the other hand…" She glanced at him seductively. Cody shivered, attempting futilely to wriggle out of her clutches._

_

* * *

_

We are so screwed. We are so freaking screwed, _Noah buried his face in his hands. _I can't believe all this happened because I just wanted to say three freaking words. And they're not even more than one syllable! We can't die here like this…

_Cody noticed the state of panic currently sweeping over his friend, and reached out to pat Noah on the back comfortingly. The other boy froze at the contact. Slowly, he lifted his head, and was met by Cody's concerned gaze._

Why did I have to fall in love, _Noah groaned internally, _I should have known it would all end badly.

_Cody grinned and began to rub circles on his back. Noah's face heated up and he flinched away. He shifted over slightly, not noticing the hurt expression now present on Cody's face._

But dammit, he's so… irresistibly cute sometimes, _at this thought he spiraled deeper into the pit of despair he found he was digging himself into. He sent Sierra a blood-curdling glare, not caring if his anger was being misplaced onto her._

_ "Okay, so maybe I was wrong," Sierra chuckled nervously. The three had not been met by the 'biggest welcoming party ever' but a bleary cesspool of concrete slabs and metal bars. _

_ Cody sighed and curled into himself, pressing against the wall of the frigid cell. He couldn't help but feel pathetic. He couldn't do anything to help, he never could. Noah probably thought this was all his fault. After all, he was supposed to fix the escape pod. If he had paid more attention they wouldn't even be in this situation in the first place. _Why do I have to be such a loser, _he pouted, _now he, Noah, and the girl Sierra were probably going to die or rot away in prison for the rest of their natural born lives.

_Sierra noticed his pained expression and bounded to his side, wrapping her arms around him in a reassuring embrace._

_ "It'll be okay Codykins," she snuggled her face into the nook of his neck. Cody didn't fight back, he was too caught up in his thoughts to care._

_ Noah glowered at the sight before him, he scooted a bit closer to them, tentatively leaning against the other boy's side, not wanting Sierra to gain some advantage over Cody's affection through this action._

_ Eventually the burden of sleep overcame them all and they found themselves drifting into an uneasy slumber._

_

* * *

_

**Thanks for reading~! The next chapter will definitely be more eventful… Please tell us what you think so far! **


End file.
